Cops In Saint Louis (St. Louis: law, boundaries, law enforcement)

[stl_63123]

Originally Posted by aragx6

Wait you lived in Chicago and have problems with St. Louis cops? I'm sorry if that's been your experience, but I think most have had the exact opposite problem. Chicago cops are beyond famous for their brutality and general douchey-ness. I had a terrible incident on a Metra train last year with a power-happy cop.

CHICAGO COPS ARE AMONG THE WORST COPS ON PLANET EARTH, and I lived in very many countries.

[TGS]

I have actually been surprised at how polite and courteous the St. Louis city police have been in the few times I have dealt with them.

I have witnessed many incidents in St. Louis where I was SURE the cops were going to take a billy club to a suspect's head. Instead, the police acted calmly, diffused the situation, and resolved the matters appropriately with no violence (even though they probably could have gotten away with it).

The city cops have a very tough job and they are rarely, if ever, going to bother anyone unless there is a high suspicion that the person is a criminal. They don't have the time and energy to bother with the petty stuff. If you have a taillight out, you probably aren't going to get pulled over unless you are in a high crime area, and if they do pull you over, once they establish that you are not a criminal, then you will be on your way quickly, likely without getting a ticket. On the other hand, the cops in the tiny little municipalities around St. Louis can get on a real power trip. Those are the really dangerous cops.

[Nipster]

I've had very little contact with cops. Of course I try to avoid risky, criminal, stupid behavior, so maybe that has something to do with it? Could be.

[flyvnewife]

Originally Posted by Hephaestus

I am a 39 year old male. My father was in the criminal justice business as well - he was an appellate court judge. He actually gave a guy the death penalty. He was the State's attorney of DuPage county - i.e., he was a prosecutor.
.

No joke? I grew up in DuPage Co, and my cousin was a defense attorney for the county. Cannot tell you how many speeding tickets that connection got me out of (esp. right around the courthouse-but I was a dumb teenager).

[zach_33]

Originally Posted by aragx6

I live right at six corners in the heart of WP and really like it -- so much to do.

I couldn't afford WP 6 corners when I lived up in Chicago, but that wouldve been my top choice, so I moved a mile west and a half mile north to Palmer Square. double door, crazy horse, border, pontiac, etc. all still there?

I never had a huge problem with Chicago cops-- they always had way bigger fish to fry than me. Same goes for St. Louis, or U City as it were. It was always my impression that the policing profession does draw (at least) two distinct categories of people-- most are fair and reasonable, like working in their community, and have a keen interest in justice. A few are professional criminals who are power-hungry, and not significantly different than the thugs whose heads they slam against the hoods of cars.

The handful of volatile encounters I have had with police I always try to keep my emotions in check and act as calm and polite as possible without being patronizing or sarcastic. It seems to work.

[renee-renee16]

Never try living in Moline Acres, Missouri, it's in Saint Louis one of the worse parts of it, and those police officers well most of them are very, very bad. There is a set of certain officers that discriminate against Woman which is BS, and there is also a Male Officer that had Sexual Assault charges brought up against him and he still works there.. Like omg, and half of the man are the laziest officer's you will ever see, I mean my mother was a police officer there and she was the one that had gotten most of the tickets she even made it to be a corporal officer. That when I was in Pine Law, Missouri then again they Discriminated agaisnt my mother jsut because she was pregnant, so they put her on a desk job but they still disciminated against her.. I hate people like that I wish they weren't in our world I know it would make living easyier but that will never happen of course.

[Hephaestus]

Maybe two nights ago, I saw a security cop beating the **** out of a guy outside a bar on Grand. The guy was sitting in a chair outside the restaurant, handcuffed, with blood streaming over his face and hands. The cop was shaking, screaming at him, saying things like 'don't you disrespect me' and 'you are not welcome in this establishment.'

I don't know what precipitated what happened. I know that the guy must have hit someone or demonstrated some sort of threatening behavior to get that type of response.

If not, it was a severe case of police brutality.

I don't know about you, but I was pretty shocked by the 'don't tase me dude' incident that happened five years ago at the John Kerry rally. The police are entitled to use force as needed when the situation demands it. We are also entitled to criticize police in a free society if we feel that they are not doing their jobs properly, just like we do for doctors, lawyers, teachers, whatever.

[stevio63]

Originally Posted by Hephaestus

Maybe two nights ago, I saw a security cop beating the **** out of a guy outside a bar on Grand.

I don't know what precipitated what happened. I know that the guy must have hit someone or demonstrated some sort of threatening behavior to get that type of response.

If not, it was a severe case of police brutality.

I don't know about you, but I was pretty shocked by the 'don't tase me dude' incident that happened five years ago at the John Kerry rally. The police are entitled to use force as needed when the situation demands it. We are also entitled to criticize police in a free society if we feel that they are not doing their jobs properly, just like we do for doctors, lawyers, teachers, whatever.

A security cop?? was he stl police dept. or a private security guy/bouncer?? just because he has handcuffs don't make him stl pd. this seems to always be the way this stuff starts...someone sees a guy beat up and a cop nearby and the assumption is "police brutality"....how many times does anyone actually see the ENTIRE ENCOUNTER????

pretty shocked by it??? funny...from what i saw the guy provoked the response by the campus cops....when you are non-compliant with a legally given directive....you are on the road to being arrested and physical conflict is in the air...why don't people understand this??? if a cop tells you to do something....do it....you screw with the cop at your own peril

[aragx6]

Uh no, refusing to comply with a police officer's request is not grounds for being beaten. Once you are handcuffed, there is pretty much no excuse for a cop to ever continue hit you. A straight cop will tell you that.

Again, that doesn't mean that "security cop" was an actual police officer.

Did everyone is St. Louis hear about those off-duty Chicago cops found not guilty of beating the crap out of some businessman at a bar? Jefferson tap: Judge clears 3 Chicago police officers in 2006 fight at Jefferson tap -- chicagotribune.com

Apparently as long as you're a cop it's OK to a. repeatedly slam a guy's head into a wall (on videotape) and b. wave responding officers away from the scene of the crime.

Awesome.

[stevio63]

"Uh no, refusing to comply with a police officer's request is not grounds for being beaten. Once you are handcuffed, there is pretty much no excuse for a cop to ever continue hit you. A straight cop will tell you that."

SAYER OF TRUTH??? what are talking about?? who said or thinks that beating a person who is handcuffed is acceptable?? from what i read, the guy was being yelled at while handcuffed...not beaten. you are proving my point though...you are saying police brutality just from this description of what you read...i am coming from the angle that people should hold their judgments without knowing all the facts.....if the facts are there and police brutality occurs.....get them off the force....but cops deserve a "fair" hearing before people get the rope out for the lynching party.

I did see that video....from what i remember the guy was a known "drunk" and a cop....bad combo....don't remember all the details but he was kicked off the force as i recall....and that's the way it should have went down....